After the Yom Kippur War of 1973 a group of rabbis, young secularists, Kookists and Zionosits who had served in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), formed our group called the Gush Emunim, meaning "Bloc of the Faithful" in February of 1974. However we are not a political, but a pressure group that wanted to bring " a great awakening of the Jewish people towards full implementation of the Zionist vision, realizing that this vision originates in Israel's Jewish heritage, and the entire world."
April 1975
A veteran settler named Moshe Levinger, established a garin ( area of a small settlement) in an Arab town called Nabuls, on the West Bank and called the settlement Elon Moreh. However our settlement broke a declaration made by the UN, which forced Israel's withdrawal of occupied territories. In April Levinger and 20,000 of us marched into the West Bank. At this march there was some confrontation with the IDF, but no shots were fired. After this Shimon Peres, the Israeli defense minister, met with Levinger. After their meeting Levinger walked out of his tent and teared his shirt, which is the traditional sign of mourning.
December 1975
After Shimon Peres's encounter with Levinger, Peres's feared that he would not re-elected due a loss in religious votes, so in December of 1975 Peres agreed to allow 30 of us from the settlement in Elon Moreh to live in a near by army camp. Levinger was considered a hero to us.
1975
We all carried Torah scrolls throughout the occupied territories, singing, dancing, and clapping.
July 4, 1976
20,000 of us were armed and attended a "picnic" on the West Bank. We marched from one side of Samaria to another. Our point to this demonstration
was to show other Israelites that these territories are essentially Jewish.
1977
The Likud party came into power and was headed by Menachem Begin. We like and respect the Likud party because they support the settlements of other areas. This was the first time in the history of Israeli politics that the Labor party was defeated in an election.
Picture of Menachem Begin
November 20, 1977
The President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, met with Menachem Begin and signed the Camp David Accords. The Camp David Accords established that Israel would return the Sinai peninsula to Egypt and Egypt would recognize the State of Israel and guaranteed the security of Israel on their common borders. We and the Israeli people strongly disagreed with the Camp David Accords.
Map of areas affected by Camp David Accords
March 1979
Five regional councils on the West Bank are formed by the Israeli government to govern the new Israeli settlement areas. These councils had the power to levy taxes, supply services, and employ workers. Most of these positions were filled by us even though we only made up about 20% of people who went and settled in these areas. Many of us formed an Armana "Covenant" with other settlements and formed the Moetzet Yesha, which was a council of our settlements to give our areas more independence.
1979
We challenged a ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court to dismantle the settlement of Elon Moreh. We threatened a civil war and a hunger strike. In January of 1980 the cabinet set up a committee to safeguard existing settlements as well as create new opportunities within the ruling of the Supreme Court.
1982
Our organization began to lose it popularity and began to separate.
|| =Important People= ||
Moshe Levinger
Was a great leader to our people. He was rabbi and also led the movement to establish a settlement at Elon Moreh. He led 20,000 of us into the West Bank and debated with the Shimon Peres, the Israeli defense minister. After the government granted the right to have 30 settlers go to an army base, Levinger became a Jewish hero. One man even said that he was "the leader of the Zionist Revolution".
Moshe Livinger (left) hoisted by the crowd
Menachem Begin
Was elected head of the Likud Party in 1977. He greatly supported the settlement of Jewish people, and was also a public admirer of Moshe Levinger. On November 20,1977 he signed the Camp David Accord acts although most disagreed Begin was looking to form a "Framework of Peace". However Begin did help with the settlements of our people along the West Bank.
Begin (right) shaking hands with Anwar Sadat (left) and US President Jimmy Carter (center)
Ariel Sharon
Was the head of the Israel Lands Commission and declared that he would intend to settle one million Jews on the West Bank within 20 years.
Culture
We had developed a counterculture which had different style of dress, music, decor, books, choice of children names, and style of speech.
We wore a knitted kipa, which was a different type of traditional skullcaps worn by Jews; this was considered to be "radical religious chic".
Our group was made up of rabbis, secularists, Kookists and Zionosits.
Many of us lived in different settlements in the West Bank.
We believed that Judaism and Western culture were opposite.
We looked at ourselves as more authentically Jewish and Zionists, than Laborites (followers of the Labor Party).
After our split some of us lived by patience while others were violent to make a change.
Religion
Since we live in Israel we are Jewish and follow the religion of Judaism; however some of us are Kookist and follow the teachings of Rabbi Kook.
Blog
Blog Entry 1:February 1974
Today we have formed a pressure group to demonstrate the feelings of the Jews in Israel. We must go back to our Zionist vision, we desperately need a true homeland that is free from oppression and war. People need to start to realize this and that is exactly what this group is trying to do; thats why i joined them. It is for a cause our people have been fighting for for thousands of years and now or achievement is in our hands.The more support that is given to our group the more of a chance we have to our success of achieving happiness. Although there are some mixed views between the religious and secularist people in our group we all have a common cause to fight for, which makes us unified as a powerful force, that could impact the lives of millions. Those who are not supporters of us do not entirely understand the struggles of our people.
Blog Entry 2: 1977
Finally a new political party has been given the chance to lead us and our country. The Likud party has been elected and know our voices will be heard. The major political party that use to govern us where the Labor party, who were not full supporters of our desire for settlement. However both us and the Likud Party have a similar vision of more Jewish settlements. Before the government would punish those who tried to settle elsewhere and now we have a government that supports our movement. This has given our people confidence and an even stronger desire to fight for the dream of having our very own homeland. Good things will begin to happen.
Blog Entry 3: March 1979
Today the government has established new councils and areas in which we can settle. Many of the leaders of the councils are people from our own group. Even though were are the majority of the people our people have been set in high ranking areas of these newly established councils. Now the true power and greatness of the Gush Emunim will be seen by all. The Zionist movement is beginning to pick up speed. Maybe someday soon the Jewish people will have a safe and set homeland. There has been word that the Gush leaders are going to set up a council of their own, which would allow us to have more independence in our areas, and lead our own people to peace and prosperity.
|| ==The Wall== ||
- Hey guys, we really want to thank you and we support you all the way. We know exactly what it is like to not have and established settlement and homeland. You all truly have grasped the importance and the struggle it is to have a homeland. No matter what people do to you do not let them break you down, what all of you are doing is a great thing and you should never forget that. Keep it up and hopefully one day you will achieve your success of gaining a homeland.
One Love, Judaism in Spain
- O, stop your whining Jews of Spain. Theres only one think that i hate more than Poles, and that is Jews in Poland. You are all inferior to me and my people and soon all of you will either be extinct or will bow down to me. My defense is impregnable, my offense is calamitous. I shall never be stopped and will be considered the most powerful ruler ever.
Boris "the Taurus" Chielnicki
Bibliography:
Information:
Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism(New York: Ballantine Publishing Group 2000)
The Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful)
Friends
JudaismJudaism in Spain
Historical Highlights
February 1974
After the Yom Kippur War of 1973 a group of rabbis, young secularists, Kookists and Zionosits who had served in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), formed our group called the Gush Emunim, meaning "Bloc of the Faithful" in February of 1974. However we are not a political, but a pressure group that wanted to bring " a great awakening of the Jewish people towards full implementation of the Zionist vision, realizing that this vision originates in Israel's Jewish heritage, and the entire world."April 1975
A veteran settler named Moshe Levinger, established a garin ( area of a small settlement) in an Arab town called Nabuls, on the West Bank and called the settlement Elon Moreh. However our settlement broke a declaration made by the UN, which forced Israel's withdrawal of occupied territories. In April Levinger and 20,000 of us marched into the West Bank. At this march there was some confrontation with the IDF, but no shots were fired. After this Shimon Peres, the Israeli defense minister, met with Levinger. After their meeting Levinger walked out of his tent and teared his shirt, which is the traditional sign of mourning.December 1975
After Shimon Peres's encounter with Levinger, Peres's feared that he would not re-elected due a loss in religious votes, so in December of 1975 Peres agreed to allow 30 of us from the settlement in Elon Moreh to live in a near by army camp. Levinger was considered a hero to us.1975
We all carried Torah scrolls throughout the occupied territories, singing, dancing, and clapping.July 4, 1976
20,000 of us were armed and attended a "picnic" on the West Bank. We marched from one side of Samaria to another. Our point to this demonstrationwas to show other Israelites that these territories are essentially Jewish.
1977
The Likud party came into power and was headed by Menachem Begin. We like and respect the Likud party because they support the settlements of other areas. This was the first time in the history of Israeli politics that the Labor party was defeated in an election.November 20, 1977
The President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, met with Menachem Begin and signed the Camp David Accords. The Camp David Accords established that Israel would return the Sinai peninsula to Egypt and Egypt would recognize the State of Israel and guaranteed the security of Israel on their common borders. We and the Israeli people strongly disagreed with the Camp David Accords.March 1979
Five regional councils on the West Bank are formed by the Israeli government to govern the new Israeli settlement areas. These councils had the power to levy taxes, supply services, and employ workers. Most of these positions were filled by us even though we only made up about 20% of people who went and settled in these areas. Many of us formed an Armana "Covenant" with other settlements and formed the Moetzet Yesha, which was a council of our settlements to give our areas more independence.1979
We challenged a ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court to dismantle the settlement of Elon Moreh. We threatened a civil war and a hunger strike. In January of 1980 the cabinet set up a committee to safeguard existing settlements as well as create new opportunities within the ruling of the Supreme Court.1982
Our organization began to lose it popularity and began to separate.|| =Important People= ||
Moshe Levinger
Was a great leader to our people. He was rabbi and also led the movement to establish a settlement at Elon Moreh. He led 20,000 of us into the West Bank and debated with the Shimon Peres, the Israeli defense minister. After the government granted the right to have 30 settlers go to an army base, Levinger became a Jewish hero. One man even said that he was "the leader of the Zionist Revolution".Menachem Begin
Was elected head of the Likud Party in 1977. He greatly supported the settlement of Jewish people, and was also a public admirer of Moshe Levinger. On November 20,1977 he signed the Camp David Accord acts although most disagreed Begin was looking to form a "Framework of Peace". However Begin did help with the settlements of our people along the West Bank.Ariel Sharon
Was the head of the Israel Lands Commission and declared that he would intend to settle one million Jews on the West Bank within 20 years.Culture
Religion
Blog
Blog Entry 1:February 1974
Today we have formed a pressure group to demonstrate the feelings of the Jews in Israel. We must go back to our Zionist vision, we desperately need a true homeland that is free from oppression and war. People need to start to realize this and that is exactly what this group is trying to do; thats why i joined them. It is for a cause our people have been fighting for for thousands of years and now or achievement is in our hands.The more support that is given to our group the more of a chance we have to our success of achieving happiness. Although there are some mixed views between the religious and secularist people in our group we all have a common cause to fight for, which makes us unified as a powerful force, that could impact the lives of millions. Those who are not supporters of us do not entirely understand the struggles of our people.Blog Entry 2: 1977
Finally a new political party has been given the chance to lead us and our country. The Likud party has been elected and know our voices will be heard. The major political party that use to govern us where the Labor party, who were not full supporters of our desire for settlement. However both us and the Likud Party have a similar vision of more Jewish settlements. Before the government would punish those who tried to settle elsewhere and now we have a government that supports our movement. This has given our people confidence and an even stronger desire to fight for the dream of having our very own homeland. Good things will begin to happen.Blog Entry 3: March 1979
Today the government has established new councils and areas in which we can settle. Many of the leaders of the councils are people from our own group. Even though were are the majority of the people our people have been set in high ranking areas of these newly established councils. Now the true power and greatness of the Gush Emunim will be seen by all. The Zionist movement is beginning to pick up speed. Maybe someday soon the Jewish people will have a safe and set homeland. There has been word that the Gush leaders are going to set up a council of their own, which would allow us to have more independence in our areas, and lead our own people to peace and prosperity.|| ==The Wall== ||
- Hey guys, we really want to thank you and we support you all the way. We know exactly what it is like to not have and established settlement and homeland. You all truly have grasped the importance and the struggle it is to have a homeland. No matter what people do to you do not let them break you down, what all of you are doing is a great thing and you should never forget that. Keep it up and hopefully one day you will achieve your success of gaining a homeland.One Love,
Judaism in Spain
- O, stop your whining Jews of Spain. Theres only one think that i hate more than Poles, and that is Jews in Poland. You are all inferior to me and my people and soon all of you will either be extinct or will bow down to me. My defense is impregnable, my offense is calamitous. I shall never be stopped and will be considered the most powerful ruler ever.
Boris "the Taurus" Chielnicki
Bibliography:
Information:Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism(New York: Ballantine Publishing Group 2000)
Images: (in order)
http://www.geocities.com/alabasters_archive/images/isflag.gif
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasite/images/iht_printed/P250903/re.2509.2.1.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1630000/images/_1632849_campdavidap300.jpg
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